What a month-Mayoralty of fun, sport, representing and loads more.

It's long past time I got back to blogging here and I intend to pop in every few days from here on in what is already becoming the best year of my life. I had the huge honour on the 21st. of June of being elected Mayor of Kilkenny city. This is in many ways the pinnacle of a long involvement in politics and an honour for me, my wife Marian and children Fionn and Caoilfhionn, my parents, family and friends. My speech on the night I was elected is here to be read. The night was an incredible one with my unanimous election a huge honour. I was also delighted that my friend and colleague John Coonan was elected Deputy mayor on a great night for his wife Anne and his family.We enjoyed the celebrations afterwards in city hall and repaired to my local, the Nore Bar afterwards. My first day as Mayor was action-packed. I started where I spend most of my day and most of my year in Gaelscoil Osraí where I am the principal. There I got a great welcome 'abhaile' from the students and my colleagues and we proceded to hoist our third Green Flag to celebrate the environmental efforts of the school in the past two years, particularly in relation to water conservation. I followed this up with a trip across the city (on my bike of course!) to Kilkenny Model School, where we raised their first green flag. The hostess with the mostest of course was my good friend and principal of the school, Olwen Mackey.

Later in the afternoon it was on to Kilkenny Castle where another old friend Fr. Will Purcell and his merry band in the Kilkenny Gospel Choir were launching our first International Gospel Choir festival which will take place at the beginning of September. There I met a very old firend, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Kerry football legend, Jimmy Deenihan. He tried to persuade me to join him back in Waterville the next day for the unveiling of the statue to another legend and hero of mine Mick O' Dwyer, but musch as I'd have loved to, the mayoral duties beckoned the next day. So that was day one and it hasn't quitened much since then!!